Timecrimes is one of those films that restores your faith in original film-making.
Just when time-travelling film concepts seem to have been done to death, along comes something new to breathe fresh life once again. In the original, Hector (Karra Elejalde) accidentally climbs into a time machine and travels back a short amount of time, getting caught up with different versions of himself, before tying himself up in all manner of knots trying to put everything back again.
The film is played dead straight, low-fi and is utterly compelling. It is also not in English, meaning it would only be a matter of time before Hollywood got its grubby little mitts on it. Whilst that is normally the cue for everyone to get cross, at least some pretty heavyweight talent is trying to get on board this one. Steve Zaillian, writer of Schindler’s List, Moneyball, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and American Gangster and director of A Civil Action and All The King’s Men, is considering directing the English-language remake, having been on board in a producer capacity for some time.
Zaillian has too brief a track record as director for us to have much of an idea of what sort of authorial stamp he might put on the remake and it remains to be seen what input he might have into the screenplay, though given his success as a writer it seems inconceivable that he wouldn’t at least have a pass at it.
We’ll let you know how this one develops. In the meantime, check out the trailer for the original below (which makes too much of the sci-fi elements and not nearly enough of the dramatic heft) and make a point of seeing the film as soon as you can.
Reviewed by Dave Roper on Dec 20
Rating:
About Dave Roper